As a business leader, you are likely to face situations where you come under tremendous pressure to perform your job. If you are in Sales, there is pressure to find and close that next order. As an Operations Leader, there are the daily pressures of meeting production demands and customer requirements. If you are living life outside of the work place, there are the daily pressures of meeting your financial obligations, putting food on the table, and even just getting along with your life partner / spouse. Finally, if you are human and someone says something that triggers you, you feel the pressure to react to what was said. The common factor in all of the above statements is facing “pressure” and how you work your way through it.
There are many ways we can work through pressure situations. We can withdraw into a quiet state and go into a deep sense of worry or guilt. We can lash out in a physical way by yelling, screaming, or doing something that is physically damaging. We could even recognize that we are under pressure and instead of panicking, we accept the situation for what it is and look to resolve it.
None of us know when we are going to face a pressure situation or when an event will trigger us into an uncontrolled reaction. The key to handling it and staying in control is recognizing when you are under pressure, stepping back, and then determining what action you take. If you had an awareness of what your tendencies in reacting to a stressful situation are BEFORE an event occurred, wouldn’t that make you more powerful in dealing with that stressor?
As a graduate of the Institute for the Professional Education of Coaches (IPEC), I have come to believe very strongly in the power of the Energy Leadership Index (ELI). The ELI is an assessment tool that captures how my clients perceive and approach life. The assessment will uncover how they “show up” in our world in every day situations or when they perceive a situation as stressful. It shows us the kind of energy we give off as either catabolic (negative or destructive) or anabolic (positive or constructive).
I use this tool early in the coaching process so that I can get to know my client and employ effective coaching tools accordingly. I love the assessment because it helps my client gain a deeper understanding of themselves including what’s blocking them from success. It also provides insight as to who they become in both normal and stressful times which could leave to a life with a lot less stress.
How well do you handle pressure? Better yet, how do you show up to the people that are in your lives when stressed? I invite you to take the ELI assessment and gain the clarity on where you are and where you want to be not only when handling pressure but in how you show up to the people in your life.
